Confidant vs Mentalyc
Mentalyc runs in the cloud and charges a monthly subscription. Confidant runs on your computer and costs \$359 once — no third-party vendors, no servers, no recurring bill. If you need a cloud-based tool you can access from any device, Mentalyc offers that. Confidant does one thing: generates your notes privately, on your computer. Here's what that difference actually means.
Mentalyc is HIPAA compliant and signs a BAA — that's table stakes for any cloud tool handling clinical data. What it doesn't mean is that your session audio, transcripts, and notes stay on your device. They leave. They get processed on Mentalyc's servers, and third-party vendors — for hosting, email, advertising, and payment processing — access that data in the course of their work. With Confidant, there are no third-party vendors to worry about. Nothing leaves your computer, so there's nothing to share.
Confidant has no servers. Your audio, transcripts, and notes never go anywhere — not because we have good security, but because there's nowhere for them to go. We can't sign a BAA because we're not a Business Associate under HIPAA. We never touch your clients' PHI. You can verify this by turning off your wifi. Confidant works exactly the same.
Cloud platforms' terms change — sometimes quietly, especially after an acquisition or a new round of funding. When they do, data already collected gets brought under the new terms. That's often how it gets monetized: a policy update lands in an inbox, nobody reads it, and the data quietly moves. Confidant is bootstrapped. Two people, no investors, no acquirer who might renegotiate what happens to your data. And more to the point: our architecture can't change without you noticing. Confidant runs on your computer. That's not a policy. It can't be overridden by a board decision.
Mentalyc's most popular plan runs $69.99/month — $839 per year — or $19.99/month for a 40-note entry plan. Confidant costs $359 once. At the popular rate, Mentalyc costs more in year one than Confidant does for life. By year two, you'd spend more on Mentalyc than Confidant costs for life. Confidant's optional update plan ($179/yr) adds new software features after year one — but Confidant keeps working whether or not you add it. No monthly bill, no note caps, no tiers.
Try Confidant free for 14 days. No credit card required.
Common questions
Note: Pricing and feature information is based on publicly available data as of June 2026 and is subject to change. Please consult each company's website for current details. Disclaimer: This comparison is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or compliance advice. Consult professional guidelines and your relevant regulatory bodies for specific HIPAA requirements.